Fruit-distributing apparatus for canning-tables.



W. G. ANDERSON. FRUIT DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS FOR GANNING TABLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, 1908.

Patented May 4, 1909.

\w' MHIIIIIIN INVENTOR. @1414? 6. Mada/ W/Tn7.

W1 TNES SE6 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. ANDERSON, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TOANDERSON-BARNGROVER MFG. 00., OF SAN JOSE, OALIFORNI A, A CORPORATION OFCALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS FOR CANNING-TABLES,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM t. ANDER- SON, a citizen of the linitedStates, residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Distributing A )paratus for Canning-Tables, of which the following is aspecification.

M y invent-ion relates to a distributing a nn'atus which is es )eciallyintended for the handling of a plurality of grades of fruit, as theycome from the grader, and their disposal at the ditlerentcanning-tables.

Though my apparatus is applicable to the distribution of grades ofvarious materials, and particularly of fruit, its utility may be bestillustrated by describing it in connection with such fruit, say peaches,which have been previously halved, pitted and peeled, and which arethen' required to be separated into grades, and each gradeseparatelycanned at the tables.

It is the object of my apparatus to take the several grades of peachesdirectly from the grading machine, and by an arrangement of carriers,convey each grade to its own apropriate canning table, or to blend orcomine two or more grades upon any one table, as may be. LlGSiIGt Withthis object in View, my invention consists in the novel arrangement ofcarriers and switch gates, which I shall now fully describe, byreference to theaccompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is aplan of mydistributing system. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

1 may indicate any suitablegradcr in which the different sizes of thefruit are separated and by which they are delivered separatel 2 is arame in which, between walls 3,. a plurality of endless, traveling,arallel carriers are mounted on suitab 0. terminal drums 4, to one ofwhich motion is imparted to drive said carriers. There are as many ofthese carriers as there are grades of the fruit, say, five, as hereshown, nlunbered, respectivel 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, and it is to be supposedt at each is disposed relatively to the grader 1 in such manner as toreceive its a propriate grade. Below the upper courses oi thesecarriers, and suitably mounted, are the traveling cross-carriers, whichshould also be five-in number, though four only are Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed March 18, 1908.

.it to the table 16. Another Patented May 4, 1909. Serial No. 120,872.

here shown, numbered.respectively, 10, 11, 12 and 13. Each of thesecross-carriers leads to a canning table, of,. .vhi ,-h three only arehere shown, indicated by 14, 15 and 16.

In the inner wall 3 of .each main-carrier is a gate-way adapted to beopened and closed by a swinging switch-gate 17. The gates are directlyabove the cross-carriers and when in use are adapted to be turneddiagonally across the main-carriers in order to divert the fruit throughthe gate-way, so that it will fall upon the underlying cross carrier.

1.8 are hoppers, the mouths of which are exposed in the spaces betweenthe walls of the main'carriers and the lower ends are disposed todeliver the fruit which is given to them, to and upon the returningcourses of the main-carriers. I have here shown these hoppers arrangedto deliver to the lower courses of carriers 6 and 8, though this is notessential, as any one or more of the carriers could be thus utilized.

Under the head ends of the lower courses of the main carriers is across-carrier 19 with side walls 20 and switch-gates 21, to'divertsuchfruit as may be on the return courses of carriers 6 and 8, to and uponthe cross-carrier 19, which may be supposed to extend to somedestination or machine where. the fruit' thus conveyed will be properlydisposed of. The operation of the distributing apparatus is as follows:One grade of peaches will be delivered to carrier 5, and, in thearrangement shown, it will be conveyed to the open switch-gate 17 abovethe cross-carrier13, and will, by said ate, be discharged upon saidcross-carrier, by which it will be conveyed to its appro riate table,not here shown. Another gra e will be delivered to carrier 6, and willbe diverted, by its open gate, to and upon the cross-carrier 12,, whichwill convey grade will be delivered by main carrier 7 to cross-carrier11, and thence will be conveyed to table 15.- Another grade will beconveyed by its carriers 8 and 10 to table 14. The last grade will besimilarly conveyed by its carrier 9 to its appro riate cross-carrier andtable. Thus each grage will find its own table. But it frequentlyhappens that it is advisable for two or even more grades to be blendedor combined on the same table. This can be readily effected asfollowsz-Suppose it be fruit to canning tables, comprising a pludesiredto combine the grades of carriers 6 j and 7. All that is necessary is toclose the gate shown open on carrier 7 and open the gate of said carrierwhich lies over crosscarrier 12. Then both carriers 6 and 7 will deliverto cross-carrier 12 and both grades will go to table 16. These instancesneed not be descriptively multiplied, as it will readily be seen that bythe arrangement of gates here shown, each grade can be delivered to anytable, and two or more or all the grades can be delivered to any tableor tables, or the blending of any gradesmay be had on any table, atwill. As the fruit is conveyed along on the main-carriers, the o eratorspick out the culls and defective an imperfect specimens, and throw theminto the most convenient of the hoppers 18. The

specimens fall on the lower courses of the main carriers and areconveyed back to the cross carrier 19, by which they are taken to somedestination at which they are properly disposed of.

Having thus described-my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:-

1. An apparatus for distributing graded rality of travelingmain-earners, one for each grade, a plurality of cross-carriers,underlying the main-carriers, one for each canning table, and aplurality of switch-gates for each main-carrier, arranged to divert thefruit therefrom to any cross-carrier.

2. In a fruit distributing apparatus, the combination of an endless,traveling maincarrier upon the upper course of which the fruit isconveyed, a second carrier under the return course of the main carrier,and means for diverting fruit thrown upon said return 1 course of themain-carrier, to and upon the l second carrier. p l

3. In a fruit distributing apparatus, the l combination of an endless,traveling maincarrier upon the upper course of which the l fruit isconveyed, a second carrier under the l return course of saidmain-carrier, a hopper the mouth of which is exposed in the space tooneside of the u per course of the maincarrier and its disc arge end isdisposed to deliver the fruit passed through it, to the return course ofsaid main-carrier, and means for diverting said fruit from thereturn'course of said main-carrier, to and upon the second carrier.

4. An apparatus for distributing graded fruit to canning tables,comprising a plurality of endless, traveling main-carriers, one for eachgrade, a plurality of cross-carriers, underlying the upper courses ofthe maincarriers, one rality of switch-gates for each main-carrier,arranged to divert the fruit therefrom to any cross-carrier, across-carrier under the return courses of the main carriers, and meansfor diverting fruit thrown upon the return courses of the main-carriers,to and upon. said last-named cross-carrier.

5. An apparatus for distributing graded fruit to canning tables,comprising a plurality of endless, traveling main-carriers, one for eachgrade, a plurality of cross-carriers underlying the upper courses of themain carriers, one for each canning table, a plurality of switch-gates'for each maincarrier, arranged to divert the fruit therefrom to anycross-carrier, a cross-carrier under the return courses of themain-carriers, ho pers the mouths of which are exposed in t e spacesbetween the main-carriers and their discharge ends are disposed todeliver fruit thrown into them, to the return courses of themain-carriers, and means for diverting said fruit from said returncourses, to anr upon said last-named cross-carrier.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

- WILLIAM C. ANDERSON.

VVitn'esses WM. F. Boo'rn, D. B. Rrcimnns.

for each canning table, a plu

